Lamp socket



Sept. 5, 1933. cus 1,925,435

LAMP SOCKET Filed Dec. 5, 1929 F/dJ.

nun H 01 351 MW PMW arm "a 114 Patented Sept. 5, 1933' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to projecting lamps and more particularly has reference to a means for mounting and positioning the illuminating medium conductor upon the body of the lamp proper.

5 I-Ieretofore projecting lamps or headlights have employed a separate mounting and securing means for the lamp socket and its housing in addition to a mounting for securing the lamp itself to a structure on which it is to be positioned.

Such a design necessarily results in a'multiplicity of the'structural parts employed.

The major object of thisinvention' is the provision of a novel lamp socket housing for the conductors.

'15 An equally important object of this invention is the designing of a novel lamp socket housing provided with an extension exteriorly of the lamp, for securing the leads.

Another object of the invention is the devising of a lamp socket housing having a body portion and an integral angular extension, the extension being adapted to have the leads secured thereto.

Yet another object is the provision of a lamp socket housing having a body portion and an extension positioned angularly with respect to each other, one end of the body portion being adapted to be supported upon a bracket mount employed with a projecting light for the purpose of rigidly securingthe same upon a body or surface on which the light is to be positioned. I I

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a lamp socket housing having a body portion and an extension, these portions being positioned angularly with respect to each other, one end of the body portion being adapted to extend within a headlight and the other end of the body portion being supported upon a bracket mount secured to the lamp.

A still further object of the invention is the devising of a lamp socket housing for a projecting light, the socket housing being adapted to be supported upon a bracket mount associated with the light so as to allow a compact and simple design therefor. I 4 With these and other objects in View which may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements comprising my invention may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. i

Broadly the invention comprehends the provision of a lamp socket housing for a projecting housing 1 provided with a detachable portion 2 lamp, the housing being of such design that it may be supported upon the bracket mount associated with the light and constructed so as to conduct the light leads through its parts and into the lamp itself. One method of practically effecting 60 the concept of this invention is to provide a lamp socket housing comprising a body portion and an integral extension angularly positioned with respect thereto, and means within the lamp socket housing for conducting the lead therethrough.

Inorder to make my invention more. clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawing, means for carrying the same into practical effect without limiting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing the lamp socket housing associated with a projecting light.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a pictorial representation of the lamp socket housing. 8 Like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the different views. There is shown in Figure 1 a projecting lamp having a lamp which is secured to the housing in any convenient manner such as is shown at 3. The lamp disclosed in this figure has a plurality of reflecting surfaces adapted to be supported upon standards a positioned within the lamp housing 1. Such reflecting surfaces are illustrated by the primary reflector 5 and the auxiliary reflector 6, a portion of the latter being adapted to surround a light source such as an electric bulb 7 provided with the usual base 8 and filament 9. Associated with these primary reflecting surfaces is a secondary reflector (not shown) as described in a copending application Serial No. 409,331 filed November 23, 1929.

It will be observed from an inspection of Fig- 100 ure 1 that the primary reflector 5 is formed with a tubular projection at its vertex which provides a receptacle 10. The base 8 of the electric bulb has mounted thereon an adaptor 11, 'which is slipped over it and the bulb with the adaptor 0 thereon is placed within the receptacle. In order to maintain the bulb in position a split ring 12 is positioned around the exterior of the receptacle and is provided with a pin or projecting member 13 which engages an aperture 14 provided in the 0 receptacle l0, and a bayonet slot formed in the adaptor. This construction is described in detail in a copending application Serial No. 409,333 filed November 23, 1929.

By such an expedient, as that described, it will be appreciated that the bulb and its filament may be positioned with respect to the adaptor, and the adaptor may be positioned within the receptacle so that the light source for the lamp is located at a point about which the reflector is designed. It may also be appreciated that such a construction afiords a strong and rigid mounting for the lamp bulb.

Also shown in Figure 1 is a bracket mount 15 adapted to be positioned exteriorly of the lamp housing and to be secured to the supporting member 4 and the housing 1. Securin means, for the purpose of positioning the lamp upon a body on which it is to be supported, such as the bolt 16 passing through the base 17 or" the bracket mount, is shown. It may be observed that the base 17 is provided with a rectilinear opening 18 and the portion 19 of the bolt passing therethrough is of similar outline so as to prevent the rotation of the lamp about the bolt when the latter is secured to a supporting body.

In order to conduct the leads to the electric bulb I have provided a novel lamp socket housing formed of a body portion 20 and an integral extension 21. If it is desired, however, the extension 21 may be detachably secured to the body portion 20 by any suitable securing means. The extension and the body portion of the lamp socket housing are substantially in the form of hollow cylinders and are arranged so that the longitudinal axes of the cylinders are substantially at right angles to each other. Although the angle between the extension and the body portion of the lamp socket housing has been shown as a right angle, it is to be understood that the extension may be positioned at other angular relations with respect to the body portion if desired. I

It should be noted that the diameter of the extension 21 is somewhat smaller than that of the body portion 20. However, this relation may be varied as desired, without departing from the spirit of the invention. While I have shown the two portions of the socket housing as being of cylindrical outline, it is to be understood that other geometrical forms, such for example, as

those having polygonal outlines, will fall well within the scope of the invention.

By an inspection of Figure 1 it will be seen that the lamp socket housing is supported upon the bracket mount 15, The bracket mount is provided with a recess portion 22 in its base and into this the lower end of the body portion 20 is adapted to be seated. It should be noted that the body portion encircles the head of the bolt 16. By providing an opening 23 in the lamp housing 1 and base of the supporting member 4, the opposite end of the body portion 20 is allowed to extend within the interior of the lamp and to surround the base of the lamp bulb and substantially all of the receptacle 10. It should be noted that this construction allows the lamp socket housing to be maintained in position with respect to the lamp by supporting the lower end of the body portion upon this bracket mount and securing its upper end within the lamp housing.

As will be seen in Figure 1 the usual lead wire plug 24: having projections 25 and a contact point 26 is associated with the device. The extension of. the socket housing is provided with a plurality of bayonet slots 27 into which the pro jections 25 of the lead plug are adapted to be engaged so that the plug may be positioned therein.

In order to conduct the leads from the extension into the body portion and to the lamp bulb, the body portion is provided with an opening 28 through which an electric conductor 29 is adapted to pass. The ends of the electric conductor 29 are secured to contact points 30 and 31 positioned in the insulating members 32 and 33 which are respectively placed within the extension and the body portion of the lamp socket housing. It may be observed that the insulating members 32 and 33 are cylindrical in shape and are of such diameter as to afford a relatively tight but freely sliding engagement with the walls of the extension and the body portion of the socket housing.

The contact 30 of the insulating member 32 is adapted to bear against the contact point of the light plug 24 and the contact point 31 of the insulating member 33 is adapted to bear against the usual contact point .34 provided upon the base of the electric bulb.

In order to maintain the contact points of the insulating members in bearing engagement with the fixed contact points suitable springs 35 and 36 are respectively positioned within the extension. and the body portion of the socket -hous ing. It may be observed that one end of the spring 35 bears against the outside wall of the body portion while the opposite end of the spring is in bearing with the insulating member 32. Similarly one end of the spring 36 is in bearing engagement with the insulating member'33, while its opposite end bears upon the base of the bracket mount 15.

While I have shown and described a socket housing applicable for use with an electric bulb,

it is to be understood that other means of illumination may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will be well understood that by employing a suitable burner instead of an electric bulb, a gas, such as acetlylene may be used. The design of the socket housslightly turning it the split ring will engage the bayonet slot formed in the adaptor and the bulb will be secured as disclosed. It may be seen that the spring 36 and the contact point 31 will be displaced and by reason of the energy stored in the spring it will be maintained in constant bearing with the contact point of the bulb. Similarly the light plug 24 is also connected to the extension by merely inserting it so thatits projections engage the bayonet slots 27. This results in displacing the insulating member 32 with its contact point 30 to theright, and by reason of the spring 35 bearing against the insulating member, the contact point 30 will be maintained in constant bearing with the contact point of the light plug. The construction previously described provide a lamp socket housing which will be maintained in position at all times and which will not be displaced from its mounting due to jarring or similar forces. It should be noted that the body portion is supported at its base and secured at its opposite end so that a strong and rigid construction for this member is provided. 7

By positioning the extension member so that it is angularly disposed with respect to the body portion of the socket housing, the illuminating medium conductors may be connected to the light source in a horizontal instead of a vertical plane. The result of such construction affords great simplicity of design, particularly in the case where the light source is positioned in a vertical plane and the major axis of the primary reflector is in a similar plane.

It is also apparent that by the use of two springs bearing against the insulating members the bearing of the contact points against each other is assured at all times. This feature of the invention serves to eliminate substantially all possibilities of the contact between the lead plug and the contact between the lamp bulb being broken due to the weakness of a single spring which is usually employed with devices of this sort. Likewise it may be seen that by the use of a separate spring for maintaining the lead plug in engagement with the extension of the socket housing the possibilities of this member becoming disengaged are greatly decreased.

While I have shown and described a lamp having a plurality of reflecting surfaces, the primary reflector having its major axis in a .substantially vertical plane, it is to be understood that the lamp socket housing forming the embodiment of this invention may be employed with other types of lamps without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. 7 It is obvious that the lamp socket housing may be used with a lamp having the major axis of its primary reflector positioned in a horizontal plane or in a plane having any angular relation therewith.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that I have provided a lamp socket housing for a projecting lamp which is of simple construction, may be rigidly mounted upon the lamp and aids in effecting a compact and simple design for projecting lights employing a plurality of reflecting surfaces.

While I have shown and described the'preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth, by Way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lamp socket housing comprising a hollow cylindrical body portion, and a hollow cylindrical extension positioned at right angles thereto, a mounting bracket having arms, the body portion adapted to have one of its ends seated upon the base of the mounting bracket, a projecting lamp engaged by the arms for securing same, a spring and an insulating member provided with a contact point positioned within said body portion, one end of said spring being adapted to bear against the mounting bracket, the opposite end of said spring adapted to bear against the insulating member for maintaining the contact point of the insulating member in bearing engagement with a contact point of an electric bulb associated with said lamp said extension being exterior of the lamp and extending between the arms of said bracket.

2. A lamp socket housing comprising a body portion and an extension positioned at right an gles to each other, a bracket mount having arms, the body portion adapted to have one of its ends seated upon the base of the mounting bracket, a projecting lamp having a housing engaged by the arms for securing same, the opposite end of the body portion extending within the lamp housing, the extension of the socket housing being exterior of the lamp and extending between the arms of the bracket, contact points provided on insulating members positioned within the body portion and the extension, said body portion'being provided With an opening adapted to allow an electric conductor connecting the contact points. of the insulating members to pass therethrough, a spring provided in each the body portion and in the extension of the lamp socket housing, said, spring within the extension bearing against the wall of the body portion and against the insulating member and said spring within the body portion bearing against the bracket mount and the insulating member.

GEORGE E. CUSHING. 

